Flora Borealis Transforms Missouri Botanical Garden

By: Christina Chastain

Beginning at dusk each night, Flora Borealis visitors will embark on a journey through iconic Garden locations transformed through a combination of lights, moving images, and sounds that bring the Garden to life like never before.

“It’s very special,” said Katie O’Sullivan, Missouri Botanical Garden’s Chief Communications Officer. “We have a laser show, projection mapping, all sorts of lighting and interactive elements, and people just get to stroll the Garden at night. Usually, we’re closed right at 5 p.m., but especially in the St. Louis summers, you want to be here when the sun goes down.”

When the sun goes down at the Missouri Botanical Garden during Flora Borealis, the magic – or science – happens, thanks to AVI Systems, a St. Louis audiovisual design company.

“This has been about two years in the making,” said Mark Shaffer, Project Manager at AVI Systems. “We’ve had a hand in this project from start to finish. The Garden gave us an overall idea and we just kind of ran with it, with helping out with the script, to the audiovisual components as well.”

But, the science is flawlessly forgotten as you walk through the Garden, as you are immersed in a story line that beats with the lightshows and rhythmic tunes.

“With the script, the underlying story throughout Flora Borealis, which is narrated by a 200-year-old water lily planted by Henry Shaw himself, is to remind people about the role that plants play in their lives, and also how people can affect plants, positively and negatively by their actions,” said O’Sullivan. “At the end of the walk, people can reflect on what they’re doing now to affect our environment, and what changes they can make going forward.”

As you exit Flora Borealis and reflect on the world around you, visit the Biergarden on your way out – or in – to enjoy crafted cocktails and snacks, as well as family-friendly activities, along with live entertainment on select nights.